The present invention relates to a mud flap and more particularly to a mud flap for use with a vehicle having a dual set of wheels.
When supporting a mud flap on a vehicle, the mud flaps are known to be subjected to significant abuse due to rocks and other debris being thrown from the wheels onto the mud flaps. This particularly occurs on mud flaps which are supported in the wheel well of a vehicle supporting coaxial dual wheels therein. The flexing and unflexing of the tires of the dual wheels when rotating act to pick up rocks and other debris which are then thrown rearwardly into the mud flaps. This abuse endured by the mud flaps from such debris is particularly evident on mud flaps having metallic inserts used either for precision mounting of the mud flaps on the vehicle or for aesthetic appearance, as these metallic inserts are often dented and deformed. Deformation also occurs due to wind resistance which acts to bend the portion of the mud flap projecting downwardly and outwardly from the side walls of the vehicle.
According to the present invention there is provided a mud flap for a vehicle comprising:
a panel member having a top mounting end, a bottom free end and respective inner and outer sides extending between the ends;
mounting means for securing the top mounting end of the panel member to the vehicle;
a metallic accent plate spanning partway across the panel member; and
means for resisting deformation of the metallic accent plate.
The means for resisting deformation of the metallic accent plate provides an economical way of using metallic inserts for aesthetics or for precision mounting of the mud flaps without requiring excessively thick or heavy gauges of sheet metal to be used. In one embodiment, stiffener members are provided to prevent denting of an accent plate by strengthening the mud flap. In another embodiment, the accent plate is protected from denting by providing a flexible central portion in the mud flap in alignment with the mating surfaces of the dual wheels to allow the mud flap and accent plates supported thereon to return to an unflexed and unbent position after a rock has been thrown against the mudflap.
In one embodiment, the means for resisting deformation of the metallic accent plate comprises lateral stiffening means for stiffening the panel member in a lateral direction extending between the respective sides of the panel member.
The lateral stiffening means may include providing ribs formed in the metallic accent plate to extend laterally across the plate, orienting fibres of the rubber material forming the panel member to extend primarily in the lateral direction, providing raised ribs formed integrally on the panel member which extend in the lateral direction or providing elongate stiffening members which are embedded in the panel member to extend in the lateral direction.
When providing elongate stiffening members which are embedded in the panel member to extend in the lateral direction, the elongate stiffening members may comprise fibreglass rods. Furthermore, the elongate stiffening members may be embedded within the raised ribs.
Stiffening members may be located adjacent the bottom free end of the panel member to extend in the lateral direction across the panel member. Preferably, these stiffening members are centrally located between respective sides of the panel member for resisting bending due to rocks thrown from between the wheels of a dual wheel set.
Stiffening members may also be located intermediate the ends of the panel member to extend in the lateral direction across the panel member. Preferably, these stiffening members intermediate the ends of the panel member are located adjacent the outer side of the panel member to resist bending against the vehicle body due to wind resistance.
When used for a vehicle having a wheel well with a dual pair of wheels supported therein, the mounting means are preferably arranged to support the panel member within the wheel well rearwardly of the wheels.
In an alternative embodiment, the means for resisting deformation of the metallic accent plate may comprise a flexible central portion of the mud flap adjacent the bottom free end of the panel member permitting the outer side of the panel member to be deflected in relation to the inner side of the panel member.
In this instance, there may be provided a pair of metallic accent plates, each spanning partway across the panel member on opposing sides of the flexible central portion.
When a flexible central portion is provided, the mounting means are preferably arranged to support the panel member within the wheel well with the flexible central portion aligned with an intersection between the pair of wheels.